Fan housing or casing



Jan. 9, 1923. 1,441,381.

E. J. SLATER.

FAN HOUSING 0R CASING.

FILED OCT. 15,1918.

Patented Jan. 9, 1923.

EMMETT JOHN'SLATER, or nurnorr, MICHIGAN,ASSIGNOB TO'AMERICAN BLOWER,

COMPANY, or DETROIT, MICHIGAN, eooaroa'a'riou or new YORK.

- FAN Housme OBYCASIINGQ 1 este m filed as 15, 91 1 a 1 Ne. fame.

Casings, of which the following is a speci fication, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

This invention relates to housings for fans, pumps, distributors and the like, and method of forming th same. A, v

For many years ithas been the general practice in the art to which the present invention relates to formfan housings ,or' casings of a casting, usuallycast iron, and since in many instances these housings must be rather small, they are hard to cast, easily become broken, and the expense at making the same is considerable It hasalso been suggested to form housings of sheet steel or other suitable, sheet metal, but when so-constrimted the hous-' inpts have been made up o'ta p lurality. of sections, the usual form being to divide the housings in the middle, at substantially right angles to the axis, and either secured together as by bolts,riv ets and the like. or .else' soldered or welded :at the point of connection between-the sections. pThistype of construction is also more are less expensive I and is open to other-and further objections in that the seam or 1011113 oftent mes is found to leak, and under vibration the sections become disjoined, when subjected .to the usual strain in usage. A

is therefore the primary-object of the present invention to [overcome recognized disadvantages and objections incident to the formation and use of fan housings'as con-- structed and used at the present time,:the improvements including reduction in the cost of production and upkeep, simplicity in design, greater efliciency in use and in creased strength and durability.

In carrying out the inventioni-t is-;pro

' vThe implro vements are of importance not oiily because-o'f the smooth and finished appearance of thehousing, but because the sheet metal construction provided and the method of forming the same makes possible a perfect cut-ofi'fwhere the scroll joins the outlet connection, and such perfect cut-off cannot beobtainedpby any of the usual forms of construction heretofore tried out wherein the casings have been made of sheet metal] a The invention further includes a novel construction and formation of sheetmetal blank formedof yieldable material where the same maybe bent, stretched, or rolled into the'desired shape to form the housing, Wlth means whereby when the ends of the sheet are joined a complete housing includmg the scrollland outlet results.

Still other improvements, in the. construction, and novel inethodo'f formingthe same will be appreciated from the description to 'lolloivwhich for a clear understanding of the inventio'n is to be cons dered in connection wlth' the accompanying drawings,

forming a. part hereof, and whereinis disclose d, forthe purpose'of illustration a convenient and satisfactory.embodiment of the invention as welhas the various steps in carryingloiit the method. f.

Re'ferringto the drawings: igure .1 is a perspective View of a fan ousing. maidein accordance with the in vention'; i

Figure QQisia planof an original sheet Inetalblank ,tobejfr'orined into a housing;

F gure 3 s an end view of the same;

- Figure .& illustrates. the blank partially rolled whereby toiformthe side flanges;

Figure 5 is an end view ofthe same;

Figure v6 illustrates the form or" the blank afterhaving been subjectedto a further rollingoperati'on; Figure is view ;o.t-the blank after the lateral; projections or'wings havebeen closed or contactedwith one another to form the housir outlet scroll. slightly I kinked or bent j Figure 9-illustrates; the blank in its com- Figure. 8 illustrates the blank the pleted rolled or bent coiidition with the side wings. of one end-of the scroll overlying the wall of the outlet.

. With reference to the drawings, as will b epiar iet d fmmn; nspe tio o Figdirection towards the connection of saidv curvedpart E connecting with outwardly pro ecting tongues or lugs F connecting with portion thereof and connecting with a tan gential extension 2. The body portion is provlded with side flanges 3 which gradually increase in wldth circumferentially in a part, the tubular formation of the outlet is reinforced and will be maintained in Closed position at the joint of-its parts, and the scroll will at the'same time bemaintained in its proper form and shape.

The housing or casing is conveniently madeup of a blank substantially as illustrated in Figure 2 of the drawings, and preferably of sheet metal such as stock The blank comprises a body part A having tapering sides 13 which at the enlarged end curve outwardly at C and merge into lateral lugs or extensions D. At the opposite reduced end of the blank the sides have an inwardly one another at the end of the blank by a terminal segmental cut-out part G. l

It is obvious of course that the blank is of yieldable material whereby the same may be bent, rolled, stretched, etc., by the action of suitable machines or tools employed for this purpose, and .not necessary to illustrate herein. I

In theformation of the housing for the blank the first operationconsists n rolling the blank vup into a substantially U-shape as illustrated in Figures 4 and 5. Thereupon the blank is placed in a suitable machine or operated upon by, suitable vtools which still ,further rolls the blank into the ram illustrated in Figure 6. Thereupon eitherby the same machine or tools, or other machines or tools the lateral extensions are I closed whereby to form the tubular outlet at of the casing. The scroll part of the housrivets 6, and the complete housing or casing is thereby formed. The'curved portion G of the blank corresponds with thecurvature of the tubular outlet 4 andmakes a snug fit with. the upper edge thereof which it overlies.

It has been ascertained that a casing or housing made in accordance with the present invention while exceedingly simple in de sign and neat in appearance, is exceedingly strong. and durable in use, and the expense over, prior constructions is considerably decreased. In making articles of this character the labor question is alsofan item of considerable importance, andit has beenascertained that whereas before one man could only make a few dozen of these housings in a day when the same were constructed of cast iron, when made of sheet steel as contemplated herein, they can be produced by hundreds of thousands per day with approximately the same cost for laloor. It is to be borne in mind that the present construction of casing or housing may be successfully employed for centrifugal pumps,

vacuum cleaners, dust separators, creanr separators, etc.

What I claim is:

1. In a housing or casing for fans and the like, the, combination of a tubularoutlet part formed of sheet metal, the wall of said tubular outlet part having an integral extension bent and curved to form a scroll and means for, securing the free end of the scroll tothe wall of the outlet part whereby to complete the housing. e

2. In a housing or casing for fans and the like, the combination of a tubular outlet part formed of sheet metal, the wall of said tubular outlet part having an integral extension eurvedto form a scroll and secured at its free end to the wall of the outlet part whereby to complete the housing, certain parts of and body part havingoverlapping portions L secured one to the other.

4. A casing or housing for fans and the like,com 3rising a single-piece of sheet metal,

curved longitudii'iully and transversely upon itself to form an openbody part or scr-. ll and a, closed tangential tabular outlet projecting beyondthe scroll; the sides oi the scroll at the free end thereof overlying the sides of the tangential outlet and secured to the latter whereby to maintain the joint between the parts of the outlet closed.

5. A. casing or housing for fans and the like, formed from sheet metal, and comprising a curved body part, with open sides and integral flanges overlying the openings the sides, the body part being curved upon Cir itself and united whereby to form a scroll, and the said body part having an integral extension which is closed, whereby to form a tangential tubular outlet. j

6. In a casing or housing for fans and the like formed of sheet metal, the combination of a tubular outlet part and a connected body part curved upon itself to form a scroll with one or more open sides, one end of the body part having a curved cut-out part to conform to the configuration of the tubular outlet, and having projecting parts overlying and secured to the outlet part.

7. A casing or housing for fans and the like, the combination of a tubular outlet part, a scroll part integral therewith, parts of the scroll part overlying the sides of the outlet part and secured to the latter, the outlet part being tangentially disposed with respect to the scroll part.

8. A casing or housing for fans and the like, comprising an outlet and scroll part formed of sheet metal bent upon itself and united, the scroll part being substantially continuous and unbroken, the peripheral wall of the outlet being closed throughout and the said outlet constituting an integral tangential extension of the scroll part.

9. A sheet metal blank for forming casings or housings for fans and the like comprising an elongated body part having at one end lateral extensions adapted to be folded into contact at the edges whereby to form a tubular outlet, and said blank having at its opposite end lateral projections of less widththeir said lateral extensions at the opposite end whereby to engage over the tubular outlet when the blank is curved to form a substantially cylindrical open scroll in communication with said outlet with the latter tangentially disposed with regard to the scroll.

10. A blank for forming casings or hous ings for fans and the like of sheet;metal comprising an elongated sheet having a substantially straight edge at one end connecting with lateral extensions, and a segmental edge at its opposite end connecting with lateral extensions of less width than the first named lateral extensions, said lateral connections merging at the sides into the sides of the blank, and said sides taper ing inwardly towards one another in a di-' rection towards the lateral extensions of less width.

11. A blank for forming casings or housings for fans and the like of sheet metal comprising an elongated sheet having a substantially straight edge at one end connecting with lateral extensions, and. a segmental edge at its opposite end connected with la,

teral extensions, said lateral connections merging at the sides into the sides of the blank, and the sides of the blank between the end extensions being tapered.

12. The method of forming sheet metal housings or casings for fans and the like which consists in forming an elongated sheet of metal with lateral projections at opposite ends, bending the projections at one end to form an outlet part, curving the body part of the blank to form a substantially cylindrical body part of the housing, and connecting the projections at the opposite ends of the blank to the body part of the blank at its point of connection with the outlet part of the housing.

13. The method of forming sheet metal housings for fans or the like, which consists in forming an elongated sheet metal blank with lateral projections at one end and a segmental recess at its opposite end, curving thebody portion of theblank to form a sub stantially cylindrical part, and bending said lateral extensions to form a tubular outlet, with the segmental end of the cylindrical part overlying the tubular outlet, and securing said segmental end in place.

14. The method of'forming housings or casings for fans and the like of sheet metal which consists in forming an elongated blank with a straight rear edge and a segmental forward edge, the straight rear edge connecting with lateral extensions, and the segmental forward edge connecting with lateral extensions of the blank, bending the blank into substantially U- hape, connecting the sides of the rear lateral extensions to form a tubular outlet, curving the body portion of the U-shape blank whereby the segmental end overlies the tubular outlet part, and connecting the lateral projections at the inner end to the sidesof the tubular out let pa-rt. l y

15. The method of forming casings for fans and the like of sheet metal which consists informing an elongated blank with a substantially straight rear edge and a segmental forward edge the rear edge connecting with relatively wide lateral extensions, 7 and the segmental forward edge connecting with lateral extensions, the sides of the blank tapering inwardly from the wide lateral extensions in a direction toward the extensions at the opposite end, bending the blank into substantially U-shape, connecting the sides of the relatively wide lateral extensions to form atubular outlet, curving the body portion of the U-shaped blank whereby the segmental end'overlies the tubular outlet. part, and connecting the lateral extensions at the forward edge of the blank to the sides of the tubular outlet part.

Intestimony whereof I-hereunto afiix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

EMMETT JOHN SLATER. 

